Newtown High School's girls' soccer team earned a first-round home game in the South-West Conference tournament, which gets going this Saturday, October 29. The Nighthawks, coming off a 9-1 win over Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport at Treadwell Park, on October 20, finish the regular season with an overall record of 11-2-3. They'll begin the conference playoffs when Joel Barlow of Redding visits Blue & Gold Stadium for a 7 pm start.

In the win over Kolbe, Sarah Houle scored twice, Makenna Cerney had a goal and two assists, and Sydney Howard added a goal and an assist. Keeley Kortze, Emma Curtis, Katie Sailer, Maddie Ziperstein, and Maddie Stites all scored, and Cassidy Kortze and Hannah Daly had assists.

Now the Nighthawks turn their attention to the postseason and are looking to avenge a 1-0 regular-season loss to Barlow, which came on the road.

"I'm excited to get a home game certainly," said Newtown Coach Marc Kenney, whose team earned the SWC tourney's fourth seed; Barlow is seeded fifth.

"It's about as close as it gets," Kenney said of the matchup.

Kenney believes his team not only has a legitimate chance of defeating Barlow, but in winning the entire tournament.

"We have as good a shot as anybody else does," said the coach, adding that his players will work hard to come out on top. "At the very least they're going to be prepared and they're going to give it their best effort."

The keys to success will be limiting Barlow's chances by possessing the ball as much as possible and making the Falcons defend, along with capitalizing on scoring opportunities when they present themselves, Kenney said.

"We need to put away our chances," Kenney said.